The Honest Truth About Irony
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ReadOasis Step 3 Creative Commons Photo by Oakley Originals Many of us know the story “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry. A young husband and wife love each other deeply. But they are too poor to buy each other gifts at Christmas. After much thought, the man... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Apple Computer has revolutionized tech. In 1984, Apple released the Macintosh. It was the first successful personal computer with a mouse and menus. In 2001, Apple released the iPod. With the first iPod, you could carry "1000 songs in your pocket." Today an iPod can hold... Read more
The Good in Nature (Step 3)
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By Max L. Knowles ReadOasis Step 3 In November 2004, the BBC News reported this extraordinary story. Near the North Island of New Zealand, lifeguard Rob Howes was training in the ocean water. He was with two co-workers and his young daughter. Then, like a frightful scene from a... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 Viktor had just married Tilly. She was the love of his life. He was a young doctor in Vienna, Austria. And Viktor and Tilly should have envisioned a bright future together, but Nazi Germany was occupying Austria, and Viktor and Tilly were Jewish. In September of... Read more
Gregor Mendel: Father of Genetics
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ReadOasis Step 3 A great tree comes from a small seed, and from small beginnings come great things. He made one of the greatest discoveries in the history of science. But during his life, Gregor Mendel was a relatively unknown man. After his death, he became famous for his... Read more
Violent Games and Young Minds
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ReadOasis Step 3 Millions of gamers were waiting for the day. On November 10, 2009, the game "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" was released. In the first 24 hours, about 4.7 million copies were sold. And the first day of revenue in the US and UK reached $310... Read more
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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ReadOasis Step 3 We are far into "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" when Albus Dumbledore says, "Dark and difficult times lie ahead." But they lie behind us too. And these dark and difficult times have caught our imagination since the beginning of Harry Potter. But this fourth... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 Censorship and 1984 Winston is an editor. Every day he works with words. His hands are soft, and he is not strong. He does not do hard physical labor. But his job is challenging and even dangerous. He works for the government of Oceania. Every day,... Read more
ReadOasis Step 5 One cold winter day, Johnny strolled through the woods. He felt sad, saying, "I wish I could give my sister a nice present for Christmas." But Johnny didn't have money. So, he walked on in the snow, looking down at the ground. And he listened to... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 During Christmas, we hear lots of stories. One famous Christmas story is called "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss. Published in 1957, the picture book is still popular today. The book has also been adapted for television and the movie screen. And the story... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) One day Yukichi went to Yokohama for sight-seeing. At the time, the place was not much of a town. Foreigners had made a few temporary buildings there for living and selling their goods. Yukichi tried to speak with them, but to his distress and... Read more
The Artful Geisha (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 Geisha are traditional female entertainers from Japan. They are skilled at various Japanese arts, such as classical music, dancing, and poetry. The word "geisha" comes from (GEI) meaning "art" and (SHA) meaning "person." Thus, in a literal sense, a geisha is an artist. In the modern... Read more
ReadOasis Step 4 Confucius (551-478 BC) was a great Chinese philosopher and educator whose teachings formed the basis for Chinese education, ethics, and social life. His style was similar to Socrates. He tended not to give long explanations on different topics. Rather, he asked questions and challenged people to... Read more
Richard Wagner, Musician
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ReadOasis Step 2 Richard Wagner Richard Wagner was born on May 22, 1813. He was a famous German musician and writer. He wrote operas, or "music dramas." Unlike many writers of opera, he wrote the words and music for all his works. Wagner's music is known for being intense,... Read more
By Tek SmithReadOasis Step 3 The world was waiting in anticipation. It had been three years since the death of Steve Jobs. Jobs was the head of Apple Computer. Under his leadership, Apple released many innovative products, including the iPod, the iPhone, iTunes, and the iPad. These products were... Read more
Country Music Icon: Hank Williams
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ReadOasis Step 3 It was the middle of America’s Great Economic Depression. Hank Williams was just seven when his father left. The stress from World War I still burned in his father’s brain, and he committed himself into Veteran’s hospital. Hank’s mother worked. She played organ at church, and... Read more
Rules for Your Working Brain (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 The bell rings. Students close their books and start packing their bags. Raising his voice, Professor Jones says, "Remember to read Chapter 6 before next class, and your first report is due in 3 days!" Some students groan. Mary rushes back to her room. She's got... Read more
By Professor Richard Wiseman ReadOasis Step 2 59 Seconds is about the science of self-help. So one part of the book explodes commonly held myths. So for example, the idea that to motivate yourself, you have to visualize the perfect you. From a scientific perspective, that's a disaster. What... Read more
The Mindset Message (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 Some people say that "hard work is more important than innate intelligence." To appraise this claim, researchers gave this message to a group of people. Then something remarkable happened. Right after hearing the message, the people manifested real changes in their brains. Is this true? Can... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 An old man was fishing alone in a small boat. He was off the coast of Cuba near the town of Cabanas. He hooked a marlin, a great fish with a long, sharp spear for a nose. The powerful fish pulled the small boat out to... Read more